Process of intensifying the luster of silk.



No. 709,524. Patented Sept. 23., |9012.

C. STUART. PROCESS 0F INTENSIFYING THE LUSTER 0F SILK.`

(Aiaplication filed July 10, 1902.) (N0 Model.) 2 ShBBS-A-Shef L l I I me Mmm; mens co. momnmo.wAsNmcvoN. D. c

N0. 709,524. Patented Sept. 23, |902.

' C. STUART.

PROCESS 0F INTENSIFYING THE LUSTEB 0F SILK.

(Appication led July 10, 1902.) (N o M o d e l .5

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W mf/1556s.' .ZU/6m?? buiten Patient CHARLES STUAR'l, UE PATERSON, NEV JERSEY.

PHOCiti @F iN'ilhlSih'i/lbl@ "fr-iii LUSTER F SELK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 709,524, dated September 23, 1909.

Application led July 10, 1902. Serial No. 115,100. (No specimens) To al?, who/'12, it 77mg/ concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES STUART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Intensit'ying the Luster of Silk, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My process is illustrated in said drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional View through the line :c t in Fig. 2, which shows a machine on which the skeins of damp silk are suspended, stretched, and revolved while being maintained in said stretched condition and being subjected to a dry air ot' a temperature of about 120D Fahrenheit. Fig. 2 is a plan View of said machine. through the line 'y y of Fig. 1, and Eig. i an end View of the machine.

rlhe skeins of damp silk are spread ou t on and around a pair of rollers 7 and S, which are preferably hollow metallic rollers nickelplated. Both of said rollers are adapted to turn in their respective bearings; but the upper roller 8 is mounted in bearings 3 and Ll, which are secured to the upper part of the -shaped beams land 2, while the lower roller- 7 is mounted in bearings or ,journals 5 and (i. In the downwardlvprojecting portions of the inverted- U -shaped bridge ,fhwhich is adapted to slide vertically between the legs 10 and l1, which in sets of two forma guide `for the coinbined bearings 5 and l; and the lower roller 7 when the silk is being stretched. or slack cned preparatory to the removal thereof from the rollers after being dried. The bearings 5 and (i of the lower roller 7 are raised or lowered by'means of thescrew 1+i, which passes through the worm gearewheel 13. The screw 14 has a head 15, which is secured, by means of screw 1li, tothe bridge f), and when Jthe worin gear wheel 13 is rotated by means of the worm 1S on the driving-shaft ll) the screw 1-1- is raised or lowered, and with it the bridge l) and the bearings 5 and G, according to the direction in which the worm gear-wheel 13 is turned. The worm gear-wheel 13 is provided at its lower end with a lock-nut 17, which prevents it from rising, but permits it to turn in the support 12, which is secured to Eig. Si is a sectional View the shaped beams 1 and 2. In addition to the head `15 on the lower end of the screw 14E being secured by the screw 16L it is secured also by means of clamps 1G on the upper part ci' the bridge 9. he shaft 19 is driven from a set of pulleys, the two outside pulleys being loosely secured to said driving-shaft 10 and the center one being fastened thereto, one of the outer pulleys being utilized for a straight and the other for a cross belt in order to drive the shaft in either direction. The shaft 19 is mounted in bearings 21 on the machine-frame.

Vxhen the skeins ol silk have been placed stretched to the desired extent, they are left in that position, thereby being prevented from shrinking, and the upper roller 8 is caused lo rotate by means of the driving de* vice. (Shown in Fig. 1.) Power being co1nm unicated tothe d living-shaft 21,a rotary niotion is counnunicaled through the worm 213 to the worm gear-wheels 22, which are secured each to its respective upper roller S. `Each upper roller S is thereby caused to turn in its bearings, and owing to the stretched condition of the silk around the two rollersthe upper one, 8, andthe lower one, 7--both are caused to turn in the same direction, thereby giving to the skein or skeins oi' silk a conA tinued revolution around the rollers and in the same direction in which the rollers are turning, so that during the successive revolutions of the silk every portion of the skein is brought in contact `with the smooth heated surface of the rollers. The silk is therefore stretched while damp, maintained in a stretched condition, spread out around the rollers, and the rollers being heated and the air being dry and heated to a temperature of about 120O Fahrenheit the silk is also calen dered while drying and passing around the heated rollers in the dry air ol. the heating room or chamber.

The object of my invention is to give to silk liber and the fabric into which it is woven a glossiuess or permanent luster of great brit liancy; and it consists in taking the skeins of silk fiber as they come from the hydro-extractor after being dyed,s`tretching them while damp, maintaining them in a stretched condition, and causing the skeins to be rotated or turned gradually while so stretched and in subjecting the silk while so damp, stretched, and gradually turning to a drying heat of a temperature of about 120 Fahrenheit until completely dry. By this process the silk is prevented from shrinking while drying and the silk being kept in motion every portion of the skein of silk during the revolution of the skein is acted upon and a uniformity in the luster is produced throughout the Whole skein. After the silk has passed through this processit does not shrink and retains the brilliancy which has been imparted to it. by

this process and exhibits it in the woven fabric.

In carrying out this invention I use a drying and stretching room in which a silkstretching machine is erected of the class illustrated in the accompanying drawings, upon which I suspend the Adamp skeins of fiber as they are taken from the hydro-extractor after dyeing. The skeins are passed around suitable rods, which are capable of holding a plurality of skeins. These rods may be made of metal or other suitable material, and they may be either tubular or solid. Whether the skeins be passed around the said rods in a vertical or in ahorizontal position is immaterial. The stretching-machine comprises means for forcing one of the rods which contains the skeins away from the other rod which is fixed, in order to stretch the skeins, a means for maintaining the rods apart to keep the skeins in said stretched condition ,and also com prises means which give to said rods a rotary motion, thereby imparting a rotary motion to the stretched skeins of damp silk, so that the skeins are performing during the process a gradual revolution around'said rods. These rods having a smooth surface and being of metal, whether solid or tubular in construction, become heated owing tothe temperature of the drying-room, which is about 120O Fahrenheit, and as they revolve the skeins of stretched silk revolve, every portion of the skein being acted upon and passing around said rods during the revolutions of the skein, and the silk is thus calendered, the result being a perfect smoothness, equality, and luster. When the skeins are perfectly dry, the rods are brought together to facilitate the removal of the silk, which is perfectly dry, does not shrink, and is ready for the process of manufacturing.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The process of intensifying the luster of silk, which consists in taking the skeins directly from the hydro-extractor after dyeing, and, while still damp, stretching them and simultaneously maintainingthem in a stretched condition, causing them to be gradually revolved and subjecting them while so stretched and being revolved in a closed chamber to dry air at a temperature of about 120 Fahrenheit, thereby preventing shrinking during the drying, as set forth.

2. The process of intensifying the luster of silk, which consists in taking the skeins, after dyeing, from the hydro-extractor, and, while they are still damp, stretching them and simultaneously maintaining them in a stretched condition, causing them to be gradually revolved and calendered, and subjecting them while so stretched and being revolved and calendered, in a closed chamber, to dry air at a temperature of about 120o Fahrenheit thereby preventing shrinking during the drying, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES STUART.

Witnesses:

LoUIs A. PIAGET, JOHN F. KEER. 

